Legal Juice

Can Dutch Guy Call Cop An Ant-F*cker?

Wed, 16 May 2012 00:04:20 -0500

In a country where past cases have made it quite clear that one may not insult police officers with impunity, this would seem to be a no-brainer. But what is considered an insult is unclear, as this case demonstrates. As reported by DutchNews.nl:

A homeless man has been cleared by the High Court of insulting a police officer by calling him a mierenneuker - literally ant-fucker - a term used in popular speech to describe people who stick obsessively to the rules.

The court said it depended on the context in which it is used whether or not the word should be considered swearing. Only if mierenneuker is used with the intention to insult or cause offence is it a swearword, the NRC quoted the High Court as saying.

The case dates back to 2010 when the man, known as Sietze J, called a policeman a mierenneuker for throwing away his can of beer. Lower courts ruled J had insulted the police officer and the case went to appeal.

This is all stupid, but really? Just to show you what a stupid and subjective mess the Court has created, check out these cases:

In 2009, a 31-year-old man from Tilburg was fined €170 for insulting behaviour after wearing a t-shirt combining the word 'corrupt' with the police logo. People have also been fined for waving a middle finger (the Dutch equivalent to the two-fingered V-sign) at a police officer and calling a policeman 'homo'.

And these ...

Last January, the High Court ordered the retrial of a man who was given a fine of €200 for wearing a jacket featuring the letters ACAB because it was insulting to the police.

The letters are said to stand for All Cops Are Bastards. Earlier, three other men were fined €330 each for wearing t-shirts with the numbers 1312 printed on them, which stands for the same thing.

To borrow a word from the Dutch, too much ant-fucking. Here's the source.

Not Your Average Souvenirs

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:03:11 -0500

Sure, lots of folks pick up a few keepsakes when they're on vacation. Maybe something to remind them of the fun they had on the trip. Well check out what this man picked up in Tibet, as reported by The Highline Times (Washington State):

A traveler was stopped at the Sea-Tac Airport by a dog that smelled something funny. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists contacted the man and he told them he had four yak skulls in his duffel bag. The traveler told the specialists he found two of the skulls while hiking in Tibet. He also bought two yak skulls at a village store to keep as souvenirs. Two of the skulls had dried flesh on them, which is what alerted a federal Beagle named Woody. An Agriculture program manager said the skulls were destroyed under high-pressure steam to prevent the introduction of animal diseases.

Nothing like a fleshy yak skull to start that stroll down memory lane.

A New Meaning To "Going Postal"

Mon, 14 May 2012 00:09:54 -0500

The scale of this formal postal worker's thievery is truly mind-boggling. As reported by 9news.com, he stole about 11,000 packages over a 2-year period!

Schmauder targeted packages sent from retailers like Amazon.com, looking for DVDs and CDs he could re-sell. Additionally, Schmauder stole Victoria's Secret lingerie which he gave to his wife. He admitted to stealing as many as 50 packages a night for two years.

What did he do with all that stuff?

Schmauder resold the stolen items to Angelo's Movies, Music and Gifts, a Littleton store which bills itself as the largest independent music store in the Denver area. Receipts showed Angelo's paid Schmauder $85,174 for 11,829 items.

Sweet Mary! The sentence?

U.S. District Court Judge Christine Arguello sentenced Schmauder to 30 months, or two and a half years, in federal prison, the maximum according to sentencing guidelines ...

You can read more (a fair amount, including information on his mental illness defense) and see a video of the story here.

You Can Be Sure These Young Men Won't Be Snorting Drugs Again

Sun, 13 May 2012 00:02:19 -0500

After this experience, it's hard to imagine any of these young men snorting anything again, EVER. Although they thought they were snorting drugs, turns out they were snorting dogs and a man. Yes, you read that correctly. As reported in The New York Post:

Waldo Soroa, 19; Matrix Andaluz, 18; Jose Marrero, 19; and two juveniles broke into a house in Florida, spotted white powder in two urns, decided it was coke or heroin, and promptly began snorting it, officials said.

Nope.

... the "drugs" turned out to be the cremated remains of homeowner Holli Tencza's dad and her two Great Danes.

The [young men] said they eventually realized their mistake, and had a brief attack of conscience.

"Brief" being the key word ...

They talked about returning the ashes that were left, but then they decided their fingerprints would be pulled off the urns, so they dumped the evidence in a nearby lake.

[HT to a regular reader (who wishes to remain anonymous - can you blame him?) for bringing this story to The Juice's attention.]

No Coke, Pepsi

Sat, 12 May 2012 00:03:27 -0500

You are a 77-year-old man, unloading groceries from your car, when a guy comes up to you with a gun, demanding that you empty your pockets. You do it, right? Not if you are Pat Gillespie of Flint, Michigan. As reported by mlive.com:

Gillespie had a bag with a two-liter of Pepsi, and he took a swing and hit the man. The man got a shot off, hitting Gillespie in the groin.

Your weapon against a gun is a two-liter Pepsi container? And?

The man, who was with another male, ran off empty handed.

UFB. Said Mr. Gillespie ...

“I didn’t want to give them nothing.”

What about that shot to the groin?

...Gillespie was taken to the hospital but later released.

There was little appearance that he was shot, other than a hospital wristband. He said he feels fine, although he is just a little sore.

That's one tough dude. You can read more (a fair amount) here.

Thanks Perps! 2 Very Easy DUI Busts In Illinois ...

Fri, 11 May 2012 00:07:25 -0500

Like everyone else (except the perps), The Juice is pleased when drunk drivers make things easy for the fuzz. As reported by The Beacon-News (Illinois):

A 43-year-old Oswego woman was charged with drunken driving after police responded to calls about a woman throwing up out of her car at 6:40 p.m. Monday near Ashlawn Avenue and Circle Drive West, Oswego police said. Officers found the car driving in the 0-99 block of West Jefferson Street. Tessy Callas, of the 0-99 block of West Jefferson Street, Oswego, was also charged with illegal transportation of liquor, police said.

Other than vomiting, what else do drunk people do? Here's a hint: zzzzzzzzzz.

Selina Nieto, 33, of the 200 block of Abbeywood Lane, North Aurora, was charged with drunken driving last week after police were called for a woman asleep at the gas pumps in the 500 block of Montgomery Road, police said Monday.

Man Pays HUGE Price For Laughing In Court

Thu, 10 May 2012 00:03:15 -0500

Perhaps the only time it's safe to laugh in open court is when the judge does. A North Carolina man thought otherwise, and paid for it in a big way. As reported by The Fayetteville Observer:

A Cumberland County judge didn't find it funny when a man kept laughing in her courtroom Friday.

Judge Toni King asked Johnny Montgomery, 47, what was so amusing. According to the Sheriff's Office, Montgomery told her, "It's none of your business."

Um. It is now. Note that Mr. Montgomery was in court for misdemeanor charges "of communicating threats and trespassing."

[Judge] King ordered him removed from her District Courtroom. As deputies searched Montgomery, they found more than 3 grams of crack cocaine on him, Sheriff's Office said.

Oh my. Those misdemeanor charges are looking pretty trifling.

Now [Mr. Montgomery] is charged with felony possession of cocaine. [He] ... was taken to jail where his bail was set at $1,500.

Here's the source, including a photo of Mr. Montgomery.

This Neighborhood Watch Leader Will Definitely Catch The Vandal

Wed, 09 May 2012 00:07:11 -0500

How can The Juice be so certain that Jennifer Bibby, a 63-year-old neighborhood watch leader will catch the person who vandalized cars in her neighborhood? Because she did it! CCTV may be intrusive, but it doesn't lie. As reported by swns.com:

Police officer’s widow Jennifer Bibby, 63, is an upstanding churchgoer and well-respected as a neighbourhood watch leader in a tight-knit community.

But she has been arrested and cautioned for criminal damage after being caught on CCTV attacking the cars of neighbours Clare Leverton and Suzanne Hoole.

Clare had suffered a number of vandalism attacks over recent years and believed hooded yobs were responsible for the latest damage, which occurred on Bonfire Night.

But Clare was stunned when the CCTV system she installed to catch the culprits spotted Jennifer covering the vehicles with flour and eggs.

Single mother-of-two Clare, who runs Attitudes Hair and Beauty in Hoddesdon, Herts., admitted she was ”shocked” when she saw Jennifer on the footage.

Clare, 44, said: ”The vandalism had been going on for years at my house so we decided to put up some CCTV cameras as a last resort.

What did Ms. Bibby have to say for herself?

”She denied everything to the police until they said ‘you are on CCTV’ and then she admitted it."

Doh! You can read more (a fair amount) here.

Follow Legal Juice On Twitter ... Or Else ...

Tue, 08 May 2012 08:40:07 -0500

Or else what? If you don't follow Legal Juice on Twitter (@LegalJuice), Kenny gets it.

And don't forget to like Legal Juice on Facebook.

You Know How You Can Forget Things When You Get Excited?

Tue, 08 May 2012 00:07:29 -0500

When you get excited, you sometimes forget things. Even when you're robbing a bank? As reported by The Chicago Tribune:

The heist happened around 9:45 a.m. at the Citibank branch, 539 N. Michigan Ave., police said. A man walked into the bank and told a teller he had a bomb in a bag he was holding and demanded the teller stuff cash into it, police said.

It's working! It's working!

But then the man left the bag behind with the cash, police said.

Doh!

FBI officials said there was no bomb found and no one was injured.

The man is described being between 6 feet 2 and 6 feet 3 inches tall and clean shaven. He was wearing a baseball cap and wore one blue latex glove.

Here's the source, including a still from the bank's video surveillance.

This Is Where You Picked To Expose Yourself?

Mon, 07 May 2012 00:08:14 -0500

Of all the places he could have picked, check out where this gent chose to expose himself, as reported by phillyburbs.com:

A man exposed himself to a woman inside the Bucks County Association for the Blind.

Newtown Township police said the incident occurred about 2 p.m. Friday inside the bookstore at the offices at 400 Freedom Drive.

The woman told police the suspect is a skinny, black male, between 35 and 45 years old, about 5 feet 10 inches tall and was wearing a black track suit.

Officers checked the area along with Newtown Borough police and could not find the suspect.

Crazy right? Or was it? Here's the source.

Woman Assaults Cop With A What?

Sun, 06 May 2012 00:05:58 -0500

Seriously, are you ever going to escape from the police armed with a dildo? From The Chicago Tribune:

Carolee Bildsten, 56, of Gurnee, will plead not guilty next month to accusations that she charged an officer with the "clear, rigid feminine pleasure device" described in a police report, defense attorney Neil Calanca said.

Mr. Calanca was not pleased with the inclusion of a description of the "weapon."

A former police officer, Calanca said the officer involved in the incident "should be ashamed of himself," and that he would have been embarrassed to include such information in a police report. Gurnee police Cmdr. Jay Patrick countered that such reports "are required to be a factual account of an incident."

So what led to the brandishing of the "clear, rigid feminine pleasure device?"

The alleged assault occurred when the officer went with Bildsten to her apartment in the 5300 block of David Court on Nov. 9 after employees at Joe's Crab Shack in Gurnee accused her of dining without paying for the second time, according to Patrick.

Bildsten reached into a dresser drawer for what the officer thought was money to pay her bill, but instead pulled out the "pleasure device," police allege. The officer deflected the sex toy with his hand, and he was not injured, Patrick said.

The charges?

Along with the aggravated assault charge, Bildsten is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 27 on the Crab Shack-related theft of services charge and an unrelated charge for aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol.

Click here for the source.

A Slight Overreaction By Neighbor To A Ball Going Into His Yard

Sat, 05 May 2012 00:09:27 -0500

Kids play. Balls go into neighbors' yards. No big deal, right? Normally, yes. Here, it was a BIG deal. As reported by the Flagler County Sheriff's office:

A 56-year-old Palm Coast man was arrested Tuesday evening and charged with three misdemeanors after deputies said he fired a gun after a basketball rolled into his yard.

Bam!

Deputies responded to 80 Providence Lane around 8:22 p.m. after several residents called to report hearing a gun shot in the area. Theodore Van Beveren was arrested at his home on charges of breach of peace, culpable negligence and discharging a firearm while under the influence of alcohol.

Drunk too. Well done, sir.

A 16-year-old witness said he was playing basketball at his home on Providence Lane when the ball rolled over into the yard of Van Beveren.

Van Beveren, according to deputies, was sitting inside his garage. He walked out of the garage as the juvenile walked over to retrieve the ball. It was at that time that Van Beveren walked down the driveway with a firearm and fired once into the ground. The juvenile told deputies he ran away from the man and was not injured.

Deputies found two fully loaded firearms in the garage. They were located on separate tables alongside the chair where Van Beveren was sitting.

Deputies said the homeowner appeared to have been drinking and a half empty bottle of vodka was found next to the chair. He refused to take a breathalyzer measurement. The firearms were taken into custody by the deputies.

Van Beveren was released from the Flagler County Inmate Facility after posting $750 bond on the charges.

$750? Why bother? Here's the source.

Two DUIs, And More, In One Day?

Fri, 04 May 2012 00:05:02 -0500

A bender? Not uncommon. Driving while on a bender? Common, but thankfully not as common. Getting busted while driving on a bender? Less common. Getting busted TWICE IN THE SAME DAY while on a bender? Fortunately, extremely rare, but it does happen... As reported by The Beaver County Times (Pennsylvania):

Around 9 a.m. that ... morning, [Yvette L.] Cavallo [29] was charged by Harmony Township police with driving under the influence of a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance.

In that case, police said, Cavallo admitted to taking a combination of pills and then texting while driving. Cavallo hit a telephone pole in the 3700 block of Duss Avenue in Harmony, police said.

Texting too! And then ...

Cavallo's car was towed to Chris Automotive Repair and Towing Service in Conway, where police were called at 9:57 a.m. because Cavallo was in the towing yard and had climbed onto a flatbed truck in an attempt to take something out of her car, Conway police said.

Conway police cited Cavallo with defiant trespass and public drunkenness. She pleaded guilty to both charges April 9.

So that's 2 sets of charges in 2 jurisdictions, and it's not even noon!

According to a police report, Chippewa police were called at 6:45 p.m. March 24 about a reckless driver on Darlington Road. Police found the vehicle near Get-Go on McMillen Avenue with a flat tire, the report said.

Cavallo, who was driving the vehicle, had glassy eyes and was responding to police "sluggishly as though she was having difficulty understanding," the report said. There was also a smell of smoke and cologne coming from the car, the report said.

Cavallo was taken to Heritage Valley Beaver hospital, where she tested positive for marijuana in her system, police said. Cavallo also had a baggie of marijuana and pipe in her purse, police said.

[She] was charged by Chippewa Township police with driving under the influence of a controlled substance, possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Cavallo is still awaiting preliminary hearings on the charges filed by Harmony and Chippewa police.

Let's hope she'll use the time she'll no doubt be doing to get herself together. Here's the source.

Felony Charge For Throwing A Soda?

Thu, 03 May 2012 00:04:13 -0500

Can you really be charged with a felony for throwing a soda? At a machine? Yup. As reported by The Gainesville Sun:

Upset that his order wasn't prepared correctly, a 30-year-old man is accused of throwing his soda on a cash register at a Taco Bell in Gainesville on Sunday night, shutting down the restaurant's computer network for several hours.

Doh! The whole "computer network." Hence the felony ...

Suresh A. Chapman, of Gainesville, was charged with damaging a computer resulting in a loss of $5,000 or more, a second-degree felony.

Police said he threw his soft drink at the register and credit card machine at the Taco Bell at 3408 Archer Road at about 8 p.m., causing an estimated $2,500 worth of damage.

The damage to the computer network meant the store lost about $3,000 in revenue, according to a Gainesville Police Department report.

How much time could you get for that?

GPD spokeswoman Cpl. Angelina Valuri said Officer Sean Borges was right to charge Chapman with the second-degree felony, which can carry a 15-year prison sentence.

Yikes. Adding injury to injury ...

Because of the arrest, Chapman also was charged with violating his probation on a 2011 child abuse case, according to the arrest report.

Mr. Chapman is cooling off in a jail cell.

While the bond was set at $5,000 for the computer damage charge, Chapman was being held Monday at the Alachua County jail without bond because he had been charged with violating his probation.

Click here for the source.